Slidell Memorial Hospital Earns Platinum Award for Superior Quality Improvement

Northshore Conifer posted on May 10, 2010 11:13

Slidell Memorial Hospital (SMH) has received the Platinum Level 2009 Louisiana Hospital Quality Award, presented by eQHealth Solutions, the Medicare Quality Improvement Organization for Louisiana. With this award, SMH has been recognized for improving the quality of health care given to their patients, and is one of 78 hospitals in the state to receive the 2009 Louisiana Quality Award.

Just 28 Louisiana hospitals received the Platinum Level Award indicating achievement of significant clinical quality improvement in all clinical topics applicable for their inpatient population. The Hospital Quality Award honors Louisiana hospitals that successfully implement quality initiatives directed toward improving patient care in one or more of the following areas:

Acute Myocardial Infarction
Heart Failure
Pneumonia
Surgical Care

To be eligible for the award, hospitals must have achieved improvement of at least 50% for each applicable topic or maintain a high level of performance greater than 90% during the 2009 calendar year. This is the fifth year these awards have been presented.

The clinical topics measured for the awards have been designated as national health care priorities by the Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services. Staff members from SMH have been working with quality improvement specialists from Louisiana Health Care Review, Inc. (LHCR) to use proven, evidence-based practices to improve care for their patients.

“When we began these awards five years ago, we had several goals. The first was to recognize providers who had achieved measured improvements in patient care as determined by national standards,” said Gary Curtis, CEO of eQHealth Solutions. “Then, by publicizing these results, our second goal was to create an environment that encouraged others to strive for this same recognition.”

Curtis said that based on the increasing number of providers who are making these improvements, the ultimate goal of improved care is occurring. “One provider at a time, one patient encounter at a time, the quality of healthcare continues to improve throughout Louisiana.”

“Quality awards like the Louisiana Hospital Quality Award are the most important recognitions a hospital can receive. They are proof, from third party organizations, that SMH is among the very best places that you or your loved ones can receive high quality healthcare,” said SMH Chief Executive Officer Bob Hawley.

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Slidell Memorial Hospital Earns Platinum Award for Superior Quality Improvement

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